Deep Demonstration is a programme that brings together communities of European cities and regions to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. The City of Vienna is one of a cohort of 15 European cities participating in the programme, which will enable it to carry out important preparatory work within the context of the European Green Deal and its key focus on climate action in cities. The EU climate innovation community EIT Climate-KIC is the initiator of the programme.

Systematic alignment of existing climate action efforts

The focus of the initial one-year Deep Demonstration programme is on identifying collaborative measures in the fields of climate protection and adapting to climate change. The aim here is to bring about a long-term reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously developing concepts and solutions to slow down warming and equip the city to withstand the effects of the climate crisis.

Working in collaboration with stakeholders from the business community, policy-makers and local citizens, the City of Vienna is elaborating forward-looking ideas and solutions to make it a carbon-neutral city, with a thematic focus on urban renewal and energy supply, urban planning and green infrastructure, mobility, the climate action budget as a steering mechanism, innovation and the local economy, and public participation and social justice.

Vienna’s journey to carbon neutrality

Vienna’s Deep Demonstration programme incorporates three lead experiments, each featuring an abundance of measures, activities and innovative projects that will support the city on its journey to carbon neutrality. The thematic areas are based on the goals and objectives of the Smart City Wien Framework Strategy.

1. The path to equitable distribution of blue & green infrastructure: Greening projects and access to cooling water are important climate adaptation measures that improve quality of life and contribute to a more equitable distribution of green spaces.
2. Urban public spaces of the future: The question addressed here is how innovative funding models and public participation can generate tangible added value in projects to transform the public space.
3. The path to carbon-neutral neighbourhoods: Alongside transport, the building sector is one of the main sources of harmful carbon emissions in Vienna. This strand shows which strategies, subsidies, technologies, innovations and solutions are required to decarbonise existing city neighbourhoods and adapt them to climate change.

The Smart City Wien Roadmap serves to translate the long-term Smart City Wien Framework Strategy into concrete implementation steps that will be provided for in the city’s climate action budget. The drafting process for the Roadmap, which is based on the results and findings of the lead experiments, was launched under the Deep Demonstration programme and will continue in 2021.

The EU initiative Climate-KIC is supported by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent body of the EU.

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

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Contact:

Website: www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/energie/deep-demonstration-projekt.html